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Wanderings in a wild country, or, Three years amongst the cannibals of New Britain / by Wilfred Powell

Creator
Powell, Wilfred
Call Number
NK5123
Created/Published
London : S. Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1884
Images
288
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Contents

WANDERINGS IN A WILD COUNTRY 1
WANDERINGS IN A WILD COUNTRY; 5
TO THE READER. 7
CONTENTS. 9
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 12
WANDERINGS IN A WILD COUNTRY; OR, THREE YEARS AMONGST THE CANNIBALS OF NEW BRITAIN. 13
CHAPTER II. Remarkable whirlpool near Duke of York Islands—Mistaken for a pirate—Shameful kidnapping by “Christians”—Description of a Goonan village—Hotwater creek—Matupi Island—Fever: its symptoms and treatment—Trading establishment at Matupi Island—Copra—New Britain quail—Torrortooroo—Accident with Aleck’s gun. 37
CHAPTER III. Duke of York Island—Visit Mr. Brown—Lotu and the chief—Adventure at Utuan Island—Messrs. Godefroy and Son’s head station—Weira—Custom of inhabitants of Port Hunter—“Buckwar”—“Dewarra”— Eight wives—“King Dick”—Human joints—Tora-good—Law of succession—The Duk-duk—Supposed origin of the Duk-duk—Windmakers—Dances—The “Toberran” dance—Musical instruments—Ornaments—Fishing—Fruits—Taro—Tan—Papaw. 55
CHAPTER IV. NEW BRITAIN—KININIGUNUN. Kininigunun—Build a house—Tor-Rarrabay—Native battle—Cruelty of women—Marriages—Mode of carrying infants—Start for Mount Beautemps Beaupré—Peculiarities of country—Horrible affair at Nucgunigu —The talking man and butcher—Tor-Rarrabay wishes to return—He decamps in the night—My cogitations—Pig-catching—My loneliness —Want of water—Refreshing sleep—Buy cocoa-nuts from women—Return to Kininigunun—Tor-Rarrabay’s astonishment at my return, and excuse for leaving me. 93
CHAPTER V. Start with Mr. Brown for Spacious Bay—Hostility of the natives—Land at Turner Point—Bartering—Grunting, and its effects—Human bones —Fighting implements—Ornaments—Fields of pumice-stone—Wonderful eruption of a volcano—Grand sight—Hot ground—Peculiar colours of inhabitants of South Seas. 116
CHAPTER VII. Arms and implements of New Britain natives—Surgical implements—Bleeding—Wind and rain makers—Tricks of “doctors”—Native ideas of religion—Spirits of departed—Cure a native by magic—Inundated with patients—Articles of food—Cooking—Fishing—Houses—The taboo tree. 157
CHAPTER VIII. Unexplored part of New Britain—Cunning of Tarlily—Junior Mission House Point—Sham fight by boys—Sand-cake throwing—Market women—Amusements of children—Opening for sugar-cane growing—Port Webber—“Tatooing” a warrior—Armlets—Hospitality and offer of a Cambira chief—His taboo hut—Council house—He visits my vessel—Fire a gun—My musical box—Amusing incident with a bad egg—Natives of Materbert Island—Mode of carrying fire and waterinterment of dead—Timidity of natives of Matukanaputa—Novel dance—Discrepancies of charts—Curious effects of atmosphere—Magnificent sceneiy—Crocodile fly-catchers—Hover and the crocodiles—Sem-si-gorro—Our animals—Turtle-catching—Wife-hunting. 180
CHAPTER IX. Red patch at Rondo Luxuriant vegetation—Remarkable waterfall—Father and Sons volcanoes—E’Watto—Cleverness of natives at signs—Inquisitive women—Ill with fever—Craters of Father and Sons—Duportail Island—Trading with natives—Uninteresting country—Tearfulness of inhabitants off Jenkins Island—Terrific thunderstorm—Willaumez Island—Mistrustfulness of natives—Low state of our crew—Extraordinary volcanoes—Heavy sea—The native and the crucifix—Threatening aspects of natives—Commence stoning us—Soon beat a retreat—Carried away by current—Dashed on a reef—Take to the boat—Critical state of affairs—Ruse of natives—Alarm in the night—Friendly advice—Another ruse—Fire my swivel gun—Natives decamp —Board my vessel and destroy everything—More deception—Almost a crisis—Providential appearance of trader’s boat—Return to Sydney. 209
APPENDIX. NOTES ON NEW ITELAND. 251
VOCABULARY OF WORDS. (From the Italian.) 284
NUMBERS. 287

Text

WANDERINGS  

IN WILD COUNTRY  

BY WILFRED POWELL  

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APA citation

Powell, Wilfred. (1884). Wanderings in a wild country, or, Three years amongst the cannibals of New Britain Retrieved March 30, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52868491

MLA citation

Powell, Wilfred. Wanderings in a wild country, or, Three years amongst the cannibals of New Britain London: S. Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1884. Web. 30 March 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52868491>

Harvard/Australian citation

Powell, Wilfred. 1884, Wanderings in a wild country, or, Three years amongst the cannibals of New Britain S. Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, London viewed 30 March 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52868491

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{{Citation
  | author1=Powell, Wilfred.
  | title=Wanderings in a wild country, or, Three years amongst the cannibals of New Britain
  | year=1884
  | section=vii, 283 pages, [5] leaves of plates : illustrations ; 20 cm.
  | series=Rex Nan Kivell Collection ;
  | location=London
  | publisher=S. Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52868491
  | id=nla.obj-52868491
  | access-date=30 March 2025
  | via=Trove
}}

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